Students denied entry to campus at Hacettepe: Resistance yields results

Students at the Ankara Hacettepe University Faculty of Fine Arts (GSF) were met with great surprise on the morning of December 5. Students who wanted to enter the faculty building were denied access without any prior notification. "Security measures" were cited as the reason, but no official document or announcement regarding the details of the practice was shared.

OBSTACLE AFTER BOYCOTT

It was alleged that the prevention of student entry was related to recent political developments. Hacettepe GSF students had joined the wave of protests that began following the prison sentence handed down to CHP presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and had declared a boycott at their faculty.

Reacting to the obstruction that occurred immediately after this development, the students stated that the decision to deny them entry was arbitrary and that they would oppose this situation.

DENIED ENTRY DESPITE ID CHECKS

Following the students' reactions, security guards stated that entry could only be granted "after an ID check." However, the students pointed out that they had already entered by scanning their IDs at the campus entrance, arguing that this practice was not legal. The students requested to see the basis for the decision, but the security guards stated that no such written document existed.

The guards also asked the students to submit a written application to the university administration. Following this stance, the students demanded a direct meeting with the faculty administration. However, the Dean's Office refused the meeting.

SIT-IN PROTEST IN FRONT OF THE DEAN'S OFFICE

Following the rejection of their meeting requests, the students began a sit-in protest in front of the faculty building. The protest, accompanied by chants of "The students are here, where is the Dean's Office?", turned into a reaction against the academic administration.

Tense moments occurred from time to time between the students and the security guards. When a student questioned why they were not being allowed inside, they received the response "You are provoking me" from a security guard. It was also noted that another guard asked a student, "How do I know you are a student?" The students stated that this approach was both a violation of rights and a restriction of freedom of expression.

"DEPARTMENT STUDENTS ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES ALLOWED IN THE DEPARTMENT BUILDING"

The students emphasized that the practice was discriminatory, stating that they had never seen a practice where only students of a specific department were allowed into that department's building across the campus. "We already enter the campus with our cards. We pass through security. We have never seen such a practice until today," said the students, claiming that the practice was a political stance.

RESISTANCE YIELDS RESULTS

The process, which began with a sit-in, was carried to a different point by the students' determination. Although the faculty administration initially refused to meet, they took a step back following the intense reactions. GSF Dean Prof. Dr. Nadire Şule Atılgan agreed to meet with the students in the faculty conference hall.

Stating that they would follow up on the process after the meeting, the students called on all GSF students to gather in front of the faculty again today.

News Source : 12punto